THE RATING

THE LAIR EXPERTS

Matt: This very rare and challenging game was released only via mail order in 1982. Because of this, it is considered one the rarest titles in the Atari catalog and sells for big bucks on online merchant websites. While its simplistic, single-player design may seem easy on the surface, it is a rather difficult game to master. It does require some degree of planning to navigate the maze-like environment. The focus should be on the player's skill and strategic choices made to prolong the game and ultimately earn as high a score as possible.

The object of the game is that the player, playing as Leatherface, has to chase down and dispatch as many victims as possible, avoiding the many obstacles along the path. The main thing to keep in mind is to always keep victims in your view and have a plan to defeat them, while maintaining the level of gas in your chainsaw. If you hit one of the many obstacles in your way, your game ends. If you run out of gas in your chainsaw or victims to chase, the game ends. Leatherface is essentially left standing in the road swinging his chainsaw like the end of the original movie, although its never shown in the gameplay.

Overall, this was a fairly simply designed game for its time, and was more or less a licensing money grab for Atari at the time. It took a long time to do proper justice to the franchise in game form, but this one is for hardcore purists or fans of early '80s technology only. 1 out of 10.



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